1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bicycle carrier and, in particular, to a vehicle mounted bicycle carrier having a cradle for engaging a fork crown of a bicycle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Bicycles are often transported between locations on carriers attached to vehicles. In many cases, these carriers include an arm or cradle that a top tube of a bicycle rests on or in, to support the bicycle. However, women's bicycles and many newer non-traditional frames, especially full suspension mountain bikes, do not have a top tube. As a result, these types of bicycles cannot be directly mounted on such carriers.
Several bicycle carrier designs aim to overcome this problem. One such design places the bicycle on top of the vehicle by removing the front wheel of the bicycle and clamping the carrier to the exposed ends of the bicycle fork. Problems with this design include the hassle associated with removing the front wheel, and the need to store the wheel elsewhere. Also the bicycle needs to be lifted up high and placed on top of the vehicle. Another carrier design incorporates a surrogate top tube, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,523 to Hilk issued Aug. 20, 2002, whereby a tube is attached to the handlebars and seat post of a bicycle. The bicycle and attached tube is then affixed to the bicycle carrier. This design requires the user to attach the device to the bicycle in two different places, and then to attach the device to the bicycle carrier, adding greatly to the amount of time needed to attach the bicycle to the vehicle. Yet other carrier designs carry a bicycle behind a vehicle via cradles in which the bicycle wheels sit. This style of bicycle carrier is generally large, complicated, and cumbersome, especially those which carry a plurality of bicycles. Another common design of hitch mounted bicycle carriers simply stacks the bicycles on a fork or similar structure, requiring the removal of the outermost bicycles to access the innermost bicycles.